Construction and extraction
Underground mining machine operators, all other
All underground mining machine operators not listed separately.
Median pay
$70,130
Growth to 2035
−1%
little or no change
Openings a year
300
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Underground mining machine operators, all other
$70,13010% earn under $49,020 · middle half $51,670–$83,120 · top 10% over $85,010
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to underground mining machine operators, all other
What the work is like
Underground mining machine operators, all other
Dealing with the public
RarelyConstantly
Time pressure
RarelyConstantly
Freedom to make decisions
LittleA lot
Core tasks
Outlook and AI
Underground mining machine operators, all other held 3,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 3,100 by 2035 (−1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).